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zizu said:
@ fkl - I had applied in last week of July and got medical request in first week of sep. however I applied online and not thru Gerry's...

zizu

That's good for you zizu, but your case is PNP which is primarily processed through London visa office as stated in your profile too. Just speculating but my understanding is that average processing times via London are far better than Pakistan for obvious reasons
 
fkl said:
That's good for you zizu, but your case is PNP which is primarily processed through London visa office as stated in your profile too. Just speculating but my understanding is that average processing times via London are far better than Pakistan for obvious reasons

Umm.. Well it's a bit complicated... Yes my case is PNP but I got tired of waiting for LVO to act up... So instead I applied for TRV using my open work permit... And that's the application that I submitted in July... And if all goes well and I get TRV then I'll go there and then will handle my PNP case from Canada...

zizu
 
Guys, further to my last postings, I have just received confirmation from CHC Islamabad that they have infact received my medical results and that there is no need to undergo the medical examination again. So, for future reference for all applicants, you can take upfront medical examination in Pakistan aswell and they will be valid for 1 year from the date of examination!
 
Auone said:
Guys, further to my last postings, I have just received confirmation from CHC Islamabad that they have infact received my medical results and that there is no need to undergo the medical examination again. So, for future reference for all applicants, you can take upfront medical examination in Pakistan aswell and they will be valid for 1 year from the date of examination!

That's good news Auone - and it saves you the trouble. Also a notable point for some who is in a hurry and is willing to waste cost of medicals (in case of refusal or substantial delay). All the very best. +1 for sharing useful info
 
fkl said:
That's good news Auone - and it saves you the trouble. Also a notable point for some who is in a hurry and is willing to waste cost of medicals (in case of refusal or substantial delay). All the very best.

Thanks fkl.......yes if your in a hurry and not worried about PKR: 5700, then you have this option...... :)
 
Auone said:
Thanks fkl.......yes if your in a hurry and not worried about PKR: 5700, then you have this option...... :)

Sure, just to clarify, the amount PKR 5600 is per person.
 
fkl said:
Sure, just to clarify, the amount PKR 5600 is per person.

Yes your right, its 5600 and not 5700, my bad....
 
Auone said:
Yes your right, its 5600 and not 5700, my bad....

Sure - though my focus was on "per person" i.e. in the entire process of applying for visa till actually receiving it. There have been many factors which drastically changed the cost when you have a family i.e. factors that you won't even care about when applying alone but they add up to significant figures when weighted for a family. I was just trying to highlight that so people won't make the same mistakes.

To give an example apart from all other major fee's, i never bothered with the little 1700 ~ 1800 fedex charges for each paper application. However, it was PER APPLICANT so for me it weighted to like 9k. And for the unfortunate multiple submissions i had to do for application returned being unprocessed for reasons that were not my fault and hence 3 submissions, that made some figures. And in case your original passports are returned for medicals (this was the case until feb 2013), it amounts to another submission. Then cost of medical for say a family of 4 or 5 and then even after visa issuance the "Protectorate general of Pakistan stamp along with NICOP" for every person going on work permit abroad, costs any where between 6 to 10k per permit and roughly wastes half a day. And this stamp is only valid for 30 days, so have to get it done just before going when your seat is confirmed :)

The above were some tiny factors of cost that i never knew would exist. But they summed up easily over a 100k PKR. So just sharing in case it helps some one else to stay informed.
 
fkl said:
Sure - though my focus was on "per person" i.e. in the entire process of applying for visa till actually receiving it. There have been many factors which drastically changed the cost when you have a family i.e. factors that you won't even care about when applying alone but they add up to significant figures when weighted for a family. I was just trying to highlight that so people won't make the same mistakes.

To give an example apart from all other major fee's, i never bothered with the little 1700 ~ 1800 fedex charges for each paper application. However, it was PER APPLICANT so for me it weighted to like 9k. And for the unfortunate multiple submissions i had to do for application returned being unprocessed for reasons that were not my fault and hence 3 submissions, that made some figures. And in case your original passports are returned for medicals (this was the case until feb 2013), it amounts to another submission. Then cost of medical for say a family of 4 or 5 and then even after visa issuance the "Protectorate general of Pakistan stamp along with NICOP" for every person going on work permit abroad, costs any where between 6 to 10k per permit and roughly wastes half a day. And this stamp is only valid for 30 days, so have to get it done just before going when your seat is confirmed :)

The above were some tiny factors of cost that i never knew would exist. But they summed up easily over a 100k PKR. So just sharing in case it helps some one else to stay informed.

Wow, that's a lot.........you are right again, its 5600 per person.....

And whats this point about Protectorate general of Pakistan stamp along with NICOP? I didn't understand what this is about?
 
Auone said:
Wow, that's a lot.........you are right again, its 5600 per person.....

And whats this point about Protectorate general of Pakistan stamp along with NICOP? I didn't understand what this is about?

Hehe, basically if you are not applying for a work permit or an open work permit, you shouldn't worry about this. But if you are leaving pakistan for any kind of work, and NOT a student visa or a family sponsorship, you basically need to get this stamp on your passport AFTER you have gotten visa and BEFORE you board a flight out of Pakistan. Best timing is to get it done when you have booked a flight and are leaving with in 30 days. The process only starts when you apply for a NICOP from Nadra and forfeit your pakistani NIC.

Following two links explain the process in detail and also the locations of Protectorate offices in Pakistan

http://www.wikihow.com/Get-Your-Passport-Stamped-from-Protectorate-of-Emigrants-in-Pakistan
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bureau_of_Emigration_and_Overseas_Employment
 
fkl said:
Hehe, basically if you are not applying for a work permit or an open work permit, you shouldn't worry about this. But if you are leaving pakistan for any kind of work, and NOT a student visa or a family sponsorship, you basically need to get this stamp on your passport AFTER you have gotten visa and BEFORE you board a flight out of Pakistan. Best timing is to get it done when you have booked a flight and are leaving with in 30 days. The process only starts when you apply for a NICOP from Nadra and forfeit your pakistani NIC.

Following two links explain the process in detail and also the locations of Protectorate offices in Pakistan

http://www.wikihow.com/Get-Your-Passport-Stamped-from-Protectorate-of-Emigrants-in-Pakistan
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bureau_of_Emigration_and_Overseas_Employment

So this means that I will have to wait to NICOP before I can leave Pakistan?
 
Note if you don't have that stamp and by chance get to the airport, you will be returned, have to get your flight rescheduled by paying the difference, get this stamp which would take a working day (4 hours+). I know first hand of this having happened to other people.
 
fkl said:
Note if you don't have that stamp and by chance get to the airport, you will be returned, have to get your flight rescheduled by paying the difference, get this stamp which would take a working day (4 hours+). I know first hand of this having happened to other people.

There is a bit of confusion, do we need NICOP before traveling? Because passport can be protected on the basis of NICOP receipt only?
 
Auone said:
There is a bit of confusion, do we need NICOP before traveling? Because passport can be protected on the basis of NICOP receipt only?

Emm.. No. You just have to have APPLIED for NICOP. Don't need the card itself. The procedure is you go to NADRA, apply for it and get a RECEIPT.

That receipt is sufficient to get the rest of protectorate process done and passport stamped. Stamp on passport is the key to leave Pakistan. However, do know that it will require your all other docs, a good amount of money 6-10k per person and NADRA will keep your original NIC. The NICOP will be issued some time latter depending upon whether you applied for regular or urgent one. I guess the urgent one costs around 10k on its own and regular one, around 4-5k. It will be mailed to you latter - so some contact of you here in Pak can collect and send it to you.
 
fkl said:
Emm.. No. You just have to have APPLIED for NICOP. Don't need the card itself. The procedure is you go to NADRA, apply for it and get a RECEIPT.

That receipt is sufficient to get the rest of protectorate process done and passport stamped. Stamp on passport is the key to leave Pakistan. However, do know that it will require your all other docs, a good amount of money 6-10k per person and NADRA will keep your original NIC. The NICOP will be issued some time latter depending upon whether you applied for regular or urgent one. I guess the urgent one costs around 10k on its own and regular one, around 4-5k. It will be mailed to you latter - so some contact of you here in Pak can collect and send it to you.

Damn, I think this just another way by the government of fleecing money from immigrants and nothing else.....